The Future of Us

Title: The Future of Us
Authors: Jay Asher
Carolyn Mackler
Published: November 2011
Synopsis from Goodreads

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

This book was super duper cute!! But is it for the kids? That is the question.

There's nothing dirty, a cuss word here and there, and the characters are pretty wholesome.

Sounds perfect, right? But will the kids dig it?!

Plot:
Set in 1996, Emma gets her very first computer. Her neighbor, Josh, gets a free trial of AOL Cd-rom in the mail and gives it to her so she can get on the internet.

Emma uses the disk and before her very eyes her future is told.

But how? How can a computer tell your future?

Well, that's the fun part of the story because Emma has discovered a time portal. A time portal called FACEBOOK!!!

My thoughts:
How freaking CLEVER!! I mean, wow!! What an idea! Sure, it kinda reminded me of "The Lake House" and "The Family Man" and maybe even "Back to the Future" but I really dug how this was set in the 90s and the kids find themselves in their 30s on Facebook.

I also liked all the nostalgia of this book. Beepers, Wayne's World, Oasis, and fun! That's right, fun! Kids now a-days (omg... I feel so old) don't know how to have fun like we did... this book includes one of my most favorite memories... A PIZZA PLACE ARCADE with BALL PIT included!! Loved that!

But is this believable?
Well, I guess in a fantasy YA book it is believable. I totally would have bought it 15 years ago. But what about today? I'd really like to hear a 16 year old's review on this book. I for one loved it because it brought back so many memories (SHa-WING!) but I'm not sure if a kid would enjoy this. Perhaps this is just a 30-something Ya book.

The Characters:
All were cute!

Emma was just like a 90-something girl. She was in band and on track and had her own car and came from a broken home.

Josh was the lovable next door neighbor who will skateboards and will let you borrow his coat whenever you want.

The tension between them is also very interesting. Throughout the story you know that something happened when they went to go see Toy Story six months ago and as the story goes on you learn why they feel all weird when around each other. It's a classic neighbor boy/girl story that I couldn't get enough of.

Final Thoughts:
I totally recommend this book. It doesn't take long to read and it will defiantly put a smile on your face by the time you are done. I still wonder if a 21st century teen would dig it. But I know for a fact all us late 20th century teens will fall back in love with memories we thought we forgot.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Future of Us

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we just can't wait to get our sticky fingers on.




Title: The Future of Us
Authors: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Release Date: November 21, 2011
Synopsis from Goodreads

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.


Darkfallen: THat's a pretty vague description
Greta: No it's not! IT's awesome!
Darkfallen: Reliving your glory days there, Grandma?
Greta: Oh shut-up, Young-in
Darkfallen: No seriously... Does this bring you back?
Greta: Yeah, it does.
Darkfallen: So, back in the day... did you think that the Information Super Highway was really a road?
Greta: HAHA! I actually did!!! I really did!!
Darkfallen: You're such a dork!

And what do we say when books make Greta relive her glory days?

Must have NOWS!
We needs it!!
We wants it!!
We can't lives without it!!

Now that you've heard what our CAN'T WAIT book is... What's yours? Drop us a comment so we can find out what has you on pins and needles.

Book Birthday Shout Out

Book Birthday Shout Out is a meme hosted by The Bewitched Bookworms every Tuesday highlighting that special book that is being born this week that you just can't wait to squee to the world about.

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Published: 2007
Synopsis from Goodreads

Jay Asher's brilliant first novel is a moving, highly original story that focuses on a set of audiotapes made by a girl before she committed suicide, and which explain to 13 people the reasons why she decided to end her life. Told in a highly effective duel narrative -- alternating between the girl s voice and the thoughts of a boy who is listening -- this honest, poignant story reveals how other people's actions shape, and by extension can ruin, an individual's faith in people. Intensely powerful and painfully real, Thirteen Reasons Why reveals how brutal high school can be, the consequences of spreading rumors, and the lasting effects of suicide on those left behind








Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children’s books for a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation. At this point in his life, he had decided he wanted to become an elementary school teacher. He then transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he left his senior year in order to pursue his career as a serious writer. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores. Many of his work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.

He has published only one book to date, Thirteen Reasons Why, which was published in October 2007. He is currently working on his second Young Adult novel, and has written several picture books and screenplays. Thirteen Reasons Why has won several awards and has received five stars from Teen Book Review. It also has received high reviews from fellow authors such as Ellen Hopkins, Chris Crutcher, and Gordon Kormon.

I know what you are thinking. Greta... this is NOT a birthday book. But oh contrare (Greta assumes that is how you spell that word) for you are WRONGS and I will tells you whys!


On Saturday I got my FABU Entertainment Weekly and after reading the junk they had to say about "SUPER 8" (Greta loves to endorse movies that sound like motel chains) I then flipped the page and WOAH!! there was Jay Asher!!!


A fan girl squee, a happy dance, an odd look from my hubz later I read the article and found out that after so many years of being ignored "Thirteen Reasons Why" is about to hit the paperbook shelf on June 14th! - CHEAP!!!!!!!! (Greta loves to endorse all things thrifty)


And that's not all!! The movie rights have also been bought and Selena Gomez has been cast to play Hannah.


It's gonna happen!! YES!!!


The reason I am so amped about this book is that I'm dying to have every teen on the planet to read it. The subject isn't a fluffy one, it's real, and it's the best suicide awareness book I have ever read to date. Super mondo duper doppler excitamundo to have this book in cheap print and ready at Wal-mart. GO GET ONES NOWS!!!


So, happy birthday THIRTEEN REASONS WHY! You are a most awesome book and deserve a celebration of confetti, sprinkles, and cassette tape!

Wanna read my review on Thirteen Reaons Why? Then Click it!

Thirteen Reasons Why

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Published: 2007
Synopsis from Goodreads

Jay Asher's brilliant first novel is a moving, highly original story that focuses on a set of audiotapes made by a girl before she committed suicide, and which explain to 13 people the reasons why she decided to end her life. Told in a highly effective duel narrative -- alternating between the girl s voice and the thoughts of a boy who is listening -- this honest, poignant story reveals how other people's actions shape, and by extension can ruin, an individual's faith in people. Intensely powerful and painfully real, Thirteen Reasons Why reveals how brutal high school can be, the consequences of spreading rumors, and the lasting effects of suicide on those left behind






This book was refferred to me by my friend SJA. I don't think she's ever rec'd me a book but I know she knows my style to a 'T' and for that I thank her.

I flew threw this book. I haven't liked a book this much since "The Rose and the Beast" or "The Weight of Silence" and before that.... well, I'll admit it... it was Twilight. Picking up that book is what started me to read as an adult. Thanks you rich woman who is making Boo-koos of money off me lolz.

Thirteen Reasons Why is a very deep emotional book. Have you ever had a rumor spread about you? I'm sure you have. Haven't we all? As long as we went to a public high school there had to be one or two floating around. Maybe a story that got twisted, someone backstabbing you with false lies just to get back at ya for hiding their Tim Allen book (don't judge lolz), or something so off the wall that when it got back to ya you just couldn't believe that someone would have the imagination to come up with a tale so unbelievable about yourself.

In the book there are two main characters. Clay who is alive... and Hannah who is Not.

Hannah committed suicide just a couple weeks back and right before the final curtain call she made 7 (audio cassette) tapes with 13 stories (side A/ side B) about the people who helped send her over the edge. Clay's name was next on the list to find out WHAT he did to send Hannah into her downward spiral.

The most amazing thing about this book is hearing the stories on the tapes. It's absolutely brilliant how the author did it. As we are listening (I guess we're really reading) Hannah speak into the microphone about this person and that (Clay has to go through all of them to get to himself then figure out who they go to next) we get to hear Clay's inner monologue about what happened when he heard That Rumor or what he was doing at That Party... It was very neat!

I was on the edge of my seat through the entire book. Of course you want everything to turn out ok... but the catcher is.... you know it's not going to. The girl on the tapes is Dead. Whatever happens... you know it's still going to end in suicide. But you can't help yourself to want everything to be alright.... and then you cover your mouth because you can't believe someone treated her that way... and then... just maybe... you hold back tears because you remember someone who treated you that way... or maybe you treated someone else that way.

I was very impressed with this author. I have to admit that I am very leary when reading ANYTHING written by a guy. I don't know why. Ok.. I'll admit it... I'm a sexist pig who only thinks that guys can write things that go KABOOM. Surely they can't write YA , can they? Well, ladies (do any guys read my reviews? lolz).... this dude totally wrote a brilliant YA book. And I am very happy to say that a boy OR a girl would find this book highly entertaining.

The creepy thing in this book is.... it all could happen. It seriously could!! But that's also the brilliance.

There isn't a heap load of detail in this book and that's probably another reason I loved it soo much. There was no talk about how someone smelled, what someone's hair reminded them of, how the air was flavored... it was as though a perfectly normal teen was just talking. That earned big mondo brownie points with me. I seriously think that YA authors now-a-days are just trying to impress us with their vocabulary. Jay Asher's book spoke to me because I had no need to dig out the dictionary and look up a 15 sylable word that (in no way in hell) a teen of today would say.

And just to leave on a fun note I'll let you guys in on a rumor about myself that is NOT true but is funny as sin.

Back in 2004 my husband landed a job and we had to move. I had been working at a factory for the past 6.5 years. On my very last day my friend Pam who I had worked with for the past 3 years came up to me and wanted to ask me something. I told her to go right ahead because I wasn't coming in the next day... or ever lolz.... And the question she had was actually a rumor she had been hearing for years.

Now... let me give you a little background story. The job that I worked is actually the same place my dad works at. We transferred down from Ohio to Alabama in 1986. He has been working there since 1978.

ok... back to the rumor.

So, she wanted to know if this was true: I heard that you guys escaped from a cult (does she mean me,mom, bro, and Dad? ... must be) and I wanted to know if that was true.

I had a big grin on my face because I'm seriously twisted lolz.... and asked.... What cult did I escape from?

And she looks at me as though this is a perfectly normal conversation and says... OH, the ones that drank the Kool-aid and killed themselves.

Now, back up!! Were there any survivors in that cult? They all died right? And furthermore.... didn't that happen in the 70s? Was I even born yet?

Here ya go kids: Click it

Apparently my family escaped from that... It didn't even happen in the states!! lolz... and I would have been nearly 3 months old lolz... OH!! And my brother wasn't born yet... but get this... My Dad had started at that factory in November of 1978... but I doubt the shop workers knew that (he works in the office... while i worked in the shop - where you put the stuff together).

But I grinned at my friend Pam even more, shook my head, and told her that we didn't escape from a cult.

She grinned back and told me she had always wondered but could never build up the nerve to ask me.

That rumor still gives me the giggles.... what will people think of next?

This book is about to be reborn on June 14th. Its coming to paperback and I couldn't be more excited. I hope every teen out there gets the chance to get lost in this book. It's definately something everyone should read at least once in their life.